Sony's PlayStation 4 has hit another important milestone, some two weeks after the console launched.

Sony on Tuesday announced that global PlayStation 4 sales have reached 2.1 million units worldwide. The company was quick to point out that the tally includes actual sales to consumers and not merely shipments into the retail channel.

The PlayStation 4 hit North America on November 15 and quickly became a sales hit. Sony announced at that time that it sold 1 million PlayStation 4 units in just 24 hours to customers in the US and Canada. On November 29, the company launched the console elsewhere around the world. It's now available in 32 countries.

Although sales figures for console units mean little in the grand scheme of gaming enjoyment, they've long been a barometer of the success (or failure) of a console. That's precisely why both Sony and Microsoft have announced initial sales figures with their recent console launches.

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Don Reisinger is a technology columnist who has covered everything from HDTVs to computers to Flowbee Haircut Systems. Besides his work with CNET, Don's work has been featured in a variety of other publications including PC World and a host of Ziff-Davis publications.
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